Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year. You either love it or avoid it.

I used to do it. My sisters, my mom and I would get up at 4 a.m. and go bump into strangers, trying to get the best deal. We would gossip after Thanksgiving dinner, going through the stacks of ads from that day's newspaper. Each of us would write down what "deal" we wanted and race to get there Friday morning before they sold out. Sometimes, it got ugly.

It got to the point, where the only thing I enjoyed was the traditional breakfast afterward. Even the restaurants are busy on Black Friday. Shoppers need fuel for all that pushing and shoving.

One year, I just had to get my son and daughter a $5 pajama set. Two months after they opened them, both pants had holes in them. You get what you pay for. It makes you wonder, if prices can be that low on Black Friday, then that must mean they really price gouge us the other 364 days.

Black Friday can bring out the worst in people. Ironically, the day after they were so thankful for everything they had. In 2008, two men shot each other in southern California at a Toys R Us store. Dozens of injuries are reported every year. One year, I had to move away from two women who were arguing intensely over a 19-inch television.

That was a long time ago. I don't have the patience for it anymore. Now, I look forward to Small Business Saturday, the day after Black Friday. It's a chance to get out and support the "little guys." Civic Economics says, "For every $100 you spend at a local small business, $68 returns to the community." The bonus is, you don't have to wake up at 4 a.m.

Join us downtown this Saturday and enjoy some friendly shopping and good eats.

Danielle Rogers is the executive director of Freeport Downtown Development Foundation and can be reached at drogersfddf@yahoo.com.